Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal.
Humla District Hospital, Humla, Nepal.
J Nepal Health Res Counc. 2023 Mar 10;20(3):734-738. doi: 10.33314/jnhrc.v20i3.4040.
High altitude pilgrims typically ascend rapidly, are not well prepared for the austere environment and tend to have multiple co-morbidities. Here, we list the trend of altitude and other illnesses who visited Humla district hospital (2,950 meters) following very rapid ascent to Kailash Mansarovar (4,500 meters).
A prospective study was conducted among 55 patients at the Humla District Hospital from September 2019 - August 2022. Patients who fell ill during pilgrimage and brought to the hospital were included. The patients were assessed with medical history and clinical examination. Lake Louise Score Acute Mountain Sickness Score (2018) was used for the diagnosis of Acute Mountain Sickness.
A total of 56 evacuees visited the hospital which included 55 patients and 1 brought dead. The mean age was 50.63 ± 10.91 years. Sixteen patients (29.1%) developed symptoms within 24 hours and 15 patients (27.3%) within 48 hours of ascent. Headache 42 (76.4%) was the most common complain. Mild acute mountain sickness (30.9%; 17 patients) was the most common altitude related illness while 14 patients (25.4%) were diagnosed with non-altitude related illnesses. Twelve patients (21.8%) had co-morbidities like hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
In the rapidly ascending pilgrims, majority of travelers requiring medical attention are suffering from some form of altitude illnesses. Hence, proper planning and public awareness about slow and gradual ascent profile is necessary to make the travel safer.
高海拔朝圣者通常会迅速上升，对恶劣环境的准备不足，并且往往伴有多种合并症。在这里，我们列出了前往卡利·马索尔沃（Kailash Mansarovar）（海拔 4500 米）后，因快速上升而前往 Humla 区医院（海拔 2950 米）的高海拔和其他疾病患者的趋势。
2019 年 9 月至 2022 年 8 月，在 Humla 区医院对 55 名患者进行了前瞻性研究。包括在朝圣期间生病并被送往医院的患者。对患者进行了病史和临床检查评估。使用 2018 年路易斯湖急性高山病评分（Lake Louise Score Acute Mountain Sickness Score）对急性高山病进行诊断。
共有 56 名撤离者前往医院，其中包括 55 名患者和 1 名死亡。平均年龄为 50.63 ± 10.91 岁。16 名患者（29.1%）在上升后 24 小时内出现症状，15 名患者（27.3%）在 48 小时内出现症状。头痛 42 例（76.4%）是最常见的抱怨。轻度急性高山病（30.9%；17 例）是最常见的与海拔相关的疾病，而 14 例（25.4%）被诊断为非海拔相关疾病。12 名患者（21.8%）有高血压和糖尿病等合并症。
在快速上升的朝圣者中，大多数需要医疗关注的旅行者都患有某种形式的高原病。因此，需要进行适当的规划和提高公众对缓慢和渐进上升的认识，以确保旅行更安全。
